With Bonds So Strong
by yvonne chalet
Summary: ALL HUMAN! A story of finding strength in family and friends to get through the toughest trials in life and having faith to carry on. There will be a minor scene of strong violence. The feel of the story is a bit a la Nicholas Sparks. *I don't own anything. Credit goes to S. Meyer for original characters.*
1. Going Back To The Start

A/N: I hope you give it a shot and like it. I like to throw in some Easter eggs, as it were, or quotes from the books or movies in there. *I don't own Twilight. That goes title of ownership goes to S. Meyer.* And here goes...

* * *

It's rare when the normalcy breaks. Love is constant. For them, it's a daily occurrence even when one is upset with the other, in moments, the atmosphere changes to love. Today is just the same. She wakes up to him beside her, always wanting to be a little bit closer. The thought of losing her is ever present in his mind, not always at the forefront, but it's there reminding him. Once upon a time he did almost lose her. Her life, as well as their daughter's, he will never take for granted. He could have been without both of them in an instant.

-About 17 years earlier-

"Is this really necessary?" She asks as he places her at the doorstep to the cottage."I mean, I'm so grateful, but we've only been married a year. What are they going to do when we've been married five?"She laughs. "I think we should tell them to stop while they're ahead."

He nods toward the room she's not looking at and she finally turns. "They figured spring break would be a good time to give this to us."

"Really? When all hell typically breaks loose? Don't they know my record of odd things happening to me?" She smiles. A soft chuckle escapes his lips as he leads her around their new small cottage. "Hmm… what do we have here?" He gives her an innocent shrug. She runs her hands across the bed posts, along the white fresh sheets and she looks back at him. She flops onto the bed and he follows after, letting her lead. Everything crashes into a fierce delight. They become entwined, relinquishing each other of anything and everything that might hold them back. Their love catapults them into passion filled oblivion. The fire envelops them, with every touch she sighs. With every kiss he moans. They were in their own home, but these moments, this time, was truly theirs to own. Nothing could take that away.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, it's gotta be the stress of finals. I've had 3 this week and this last one is the toughest. It's only understandable that my body might be having a reaction to it. Nerves. You know how they like to get the best of me."

"Baby, I'm not so sure. You look a little pale. Maybe you have the flu that's going around."

"Edward, I'll be fine. I promise right after my final is over I will come home and sleep the day away. Which is quite a tempting thought right now, and it's not helping me study!"

He pauses, staring, giving her the once over.

"Honey, go! You'll be late for your final!"

He kissed her forehead and slowly gathered his things. He is always so concerned that she never gives herself the breaks that she needs. She has the habit of running herself into the ground and it usually takes her a while to recover.

"I'll check on you after your class gets out. I should be out by the time you are done. I love you", he says closing the door to let her continue.

* * *

"All right, class. This final exam counts for 35% of your grade and should be treated with care…"

She couldn't concentrate at all. Maybe she was coming down with the flu. She read the prompt over and over. Made notes. Erased. Crumpled paper. Her head was pounding. "I can't even think anymore. Just a few more sentences. Anything", she thought. She furiously scribbled down her last few sentences and just in time. Her temperature began to rise. This was it. She couldn't handle the stress anymore. She felt like she was going to explode. She quickly gathered her things and rushed toward the professor's desk.

"Are you okay, Ms. Cullen? You don't look like you are going to make it out the door." And right on cue, a wave of heat burst across her body as she ran through the door. She barely made it to the trash can before it all came out. "Ms. Cullen. Ms. Cullen?"

Bella's English Professor came along side her. "God, this is so embarrassing", Bella breathed out trying to catch her breath, "Damn nerves."

"I am not going to lie. You don't look so great. Can you stand up and we'll get you to the Student Health Center? The T.A. can handle the class."

* * *

As Professor Kristofferson went to talk to the medical assistant at the desk Bella tried to get her bearings a little in the waiting room. A familiar voice broke her concentration.

"What are you in for, Swan? Exam nerves get the best of you?"

She just stared. Victoria was seated a few seats away from her. That was the last voice she wanted to hear right now, of course other than Edward's "I told you so". Bella figured it would be best to stay silent in Victoria's presence. The reason she was here was none of her business anyway. Of all places and times though, she hadn't expected to see her here. She didn't want to give her fuel for her fire. She had always bullied Bella, but things got worse in High School when she heard that Edward preferred her to Victoria. Bella was finding it particularly hard to stay silent, so she bit her tongue and could taste the blood that was coming out of the wound. Victoria leaned over a little as she whispered.

"I can't help but notice; you seem a little bit larger than I last remember. Didn't I just see you like a couple months ago? But it's completely understandable if you're a transfer student. 'Transfer thirty' and all. Of course, that's if you did transfer."

Fortunately, just at that moment, Professor Kristofferson returned before Bella completely lost it.

"Are you going to be all right? Is there anyone that I can call for you?"

"No, thank you. I'm sure I'll be fine. I can call if I need to."

"Do you think you will be up to filling out some forms with your information?"

"Yeah, I should be fine."

"I will be off then. My best to you, Ms. Cullen", Professor Kristofferson says patting Bella's knee and turning to leave. The medical assistant handed Bella the forms and she began to fill them out. And again another fog rolls over her. The information came to her mind, but she froze when it asked her when her last cycle was. She couldn't remember. "It couldn't have been that long," she thought, "There was no way. And we were careful. We are going to finish college and then have a family once we start our careers, when things are more stable. This isn't happening." She pushed the thought from her mind and continued on with filling out the forms. But now it was especially hard to concentrate and that rush of heat was beginning to creep over her again. "No, no, no!" She thought, "where is the trash can? I won't make it to the bathroom." She spotted the small trash receptacle and fell to her knees barely making it once again. She could feel some one rubbing her shoulder and pulling back her hair.

"Let's get you inside to see our attending physician."

The nurse helped her up and grabbed all the paper work leading Bella through the door. As Bella turned to walk through the door, she caught Victoria trying to size her up.

"Now, have a seat there and we will get started. So you're married. I see. You seem a little young to be married."

"We are high school sweethearts. And, It was my husband's idea", Bella laughs."It'll be 2 years this August."

"Well, congrats to the newlyweds. Your husband seems like a romantic", says the physician as she smiles and continues to scan over the forms. "Let's see here, it seems you didn't fill out a couple areas. Let's see if we can figure them out. You don't remember the last time you had your menstrual cycle?"

"It's been a while…I think stress might be a factor. And we use contraception."

"Any chance that you may have forgotten or something break?"

"Not that I can remember."

"You wrote that you are dizzy. You can't seem to concentrate and you have vomited twice today."

Bella nods.

"I think we'll start with taking your temperature and blood pressure to see if we can rule anything out." Bella tried to relax knowing that an elevated heart rate can only mean more tests. She breathed in and out at a decent pace to successfully calm herself, or so she thought. The physician removes the blood pressure cuff and takes Bella's temperature. "So everything seems normal, and when I say normal it's on the cusp of the higher end of normal. And your heart rate is the exception. It's a little bit above normal. There's one other thing that I would like to do, as a precaution. I think we should do a quick topical abdominal check to make sure you don't have appendicitis or anything of that nature. If you could lean back onto the table for me… It'll take me but a moment."

Bella began to become uneasy as the physician began to poke and prod at her stomach. The few seconds felt like forever.

"So no pain here?" The physician prods again.

"No."

"Or here?"

"No."

"I think I have a prognosis that you may or may not like."

"Should I be worried?" Bella asked.

"May I see your hand, please?" Bella placed her hand out and let the physician take it and guide it. She placed it on her abdomen where there seemed to be a somewhat firm bump right in the middle. "Do you feel that?" Bella's heart began to pound. She looked up with a surprised look on her face. Almost utter shock.

"Yeah. What is that?"

"That, my dear, is your expanding uterus filled with what I believe to be a fetus in amniotic fluid. Now we can do some tests here to confirm my suspicions, if you don't mind and would like a confirmation."

Bella nodded.

* * *

Bella bounced her leg up and down anxious for the results of the test. And yet somehow Victoria was still there after all this time. "You were in there for a while Bella. What? Are you pregnant?" Victoria scoffed. Another pulse of heat rushed through Bella's body. When was it going to stop? Her body could only take so much excitement for one day. She could feel her face, ears, and neck burning. She fought with her body to prevent another episode of vomiting from surfacing. And it was successful for the time being. She wanted so desperately to drown everything out. There were too many things running through her head and she didn't need to hear Victoria mock her.

"What are you going to do about it? Who's the father…"

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up! Bella chanted to herself. She pulled her legs as far as she could onto the seat of the chair she was sitting on, burying her face into her knees. She shut her eyes so tight that she thought she was going to pass out.

"Ms. Cullen?" Bella's head shot up as the medical assistant called her name again and lead her back for the results.

"There are some pretty definitive results. Mind you, we are still considered triage, so please do follow up with your doctor on this. According to the results, you are indeed pregnant. Now we can help you…"

Bella blanked. Everything froze for what felt like forever. She had a feeling that they would be right, but she needed to hear the words for it to really set in. "Could this really be happening?" She examined her stomach once again. There was definitely something there. Oh, it was happening. Something clicked within her. She couldn't explain it. There was an instant connection. An inseparable bond. She knew at that moment that she loved this baby, even though she only found out about its existence moments ago. Nothing would be able to break that bond. Reality came bounding back in.

"So here are a few pamphlets that you can take with you so you and your husband can discuss your options if you feel this isn't the right time for you."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Bella replied, "That won't be necessary."

"Okay then. There isn't much else we can do here. Although, we do strongly suggest that you go home and take it easy. Get lots of rest. We don't want you to have to make frequent visits to the doctor's office."

* * *

When Bella got home she let the soft patter of the rain lull her to sleep. She was exhausted. Everything in her body ached. The best thing to do was to give into the sleep that was calling her name, as she collapsed on the couch. She was determined to sleep until tomorrow. She would deal with it all then, when Edward didn't have finals to deal with. This might be too much for him to handle. But that wasn't going to happen. Edward walked through the door, his jacket drenched from the moisture outside. His eyes fell upon Bella's restless body. He slumped to his knees, relieved to have finally found her. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."

Her eyes fluttered open, remaining half shut. "I…I…"

"Are you okay? Did something happen? I went after class to look for you at yours, but you weren't there. The professor wasn't either. And when I asked the T.A. he told me the professor had to help out a student. Something about the Student Health Center."

"Yes."

"Yes, what? Bella, what happened?"

"I am fine. It's nothing you need to worry about right now."

"I know you well enough to know that that means that it's something I need to know about now."

A tear drop rolled across Bella's face as she turned over.

"Please just tell me. In sickness and in health, remember?"

"I'm pregnant", she whispers into the pillow in front of her face.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant," She says louder.

Edward flopped back onto the floor. Everything in his body felt like it would shut down. Yet there was an adrenaline rush that propelled him to his feet. He quickly got up and began to pace. "What just happened?" He thought. "This cannot be happening, Bella! We did everything to prevent it. This can't happen now. We have to do something about it, before…"

"Edward," She said pulling her aching body up to face him," What are you saying?"

"We can't do this right now. We have so much we want to do and accomplish! Think about it. We can do this later!"

"Do it later?! It's already happening, Edward! And I am not getting rid of our child! If it's that much trouble to you, then I'll just get out of your way. Don't let me stop you!" She yelled as she stormed out of the room to gather as many things as possible to place in her backpack.

"Bella, we are supposed to be partners!"

"Well, Edward, you made your choice not to be mine by wanting to get rid of your own child!" She grabbed his hand and placed her wedding ring in it. "Good-bye, Edward. Have a nice life!"

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. Wherever my feet take me!" And with that, Bella closed the door behind her and began to walk away in the drizzle and chill of the Washington weather.


	2. Agree to disagree

A/N: I think I am probably going to go Nicholas Sparks status with the story, just as a fore warning. :) I can only hope it ends up like that, since he's one of my favorite authors. This chapter is a bit shorter, but I can post more often that way. Anyway... enjoy!-yc*Again, I don't own the characters, etc...*

* * *

Esme was busy working on a design for one of her clients. It was one of the highlights of her day other than being able to see Carlisle and the occasional visit from her children. Everything was well with the world when she could be in the quiet serenity of her work. She would let the scratches, clicking, dragging and swishing of her design instruments across her workspace be music to her ears. There were huge window panes in her work space allowing all the natural light, even on the normal gloomy days in Washington, to flow in and light her work. They gave her an almost panoramic view of the world outside. It was perfect. She could watch the rain fall, see Carlisle leave in the morning, rise with the sunrise and wind down with the sunset. She definitely felt blessed. She took a break and watched as soft drops began to tap against the windows. It was kind of unusual to see the rain do that as it usually blew away to the west. There must have been an opposing gust outside. Esme got up and walked to the window pane to admire the weather. As she neared the window, she spotted something coming toward the house from the direction of Bella and Edward's cottage. She rushed to grab her glasses and quickly returned to the window. It was a person, and what looked to be Bella. She raced as fast as she could toward the back door. Sure enough, it was Bella.

"Bella", she called out.

"Bella", she tried again.

Bella looked up. She knew she couldn't ignore Esme. To do that would make Esme sad and no one wanted to do that. It would be a near crime. The rain began to come down harder.

"Would you come inside, please?" Esme asked.

" It's okay. I'll be fine. I don't want to bother you."

Esme gave Bella the look. The look that only mothers can give that cause almost immediate surrender.

"You are going to get sick."

For some reason,Bella hadn't really thought about that and if it would affect the baby. She knew she should go and heed the words of Esme. She had someone else to think about now. She squished up the steps to the back door and Esme pulled her in. "Come on, Sweetie. Let's get you some dry clothes. I'll go rummage through Edward's old room and we'll see if we can find you something warm and comfortable to wear." Bella tried so hard not to cry in front of Esme, but she couldn't stop the tear that slid across her cheek. Talking about Edward in any way reminded her of the scene she left at their cottage. Of course, being the mother she is, Esme caught sight of the tears that fell. "Bella, everything will be alright. Let's get you upstairs."

* * *

Esme continued to look everywhere and then she spotted the perfect thing- Edward's sweats from playing on the soccer team for high school. "Aha!" She exclaimed,"these should work. You'll be warm in minutes." Bella began to peel off her damp sweater and shirt. Her pants were covered in mud and her socks were a lost cause. Esme held out clothing for Bella to put on in exchange for the damp and muddy ones.

"I'll go run these downstairs to be washed and you can meet me in the kitchen."

Bella finished up, sitting down to put on some warm clean socks and slowly walked to the kitchen.

* * *

"So what is going on, my dear?" Esme asked as she bustled around the kitchen. Bella shrugged. What was she supposed to say? Where does she begin- I broke up with your son or I am having your grandchild? But with Esme's high sense of intuition and attention to detail, she could probably and, by now, already figured out both of those things. She gave Bella the look once more as she turned to pour some tea into Bella's cup.

"Bella, honey, I am here for you. You know that."

Bella sighed. "Might as well just get it out now", She thought," Esme will find out sooner or later. She has her ways."

"Well, I … I split up with Edward and… I'm pregnant."

"Okay, which one came first? Did you tell him you were pregnant and then split up? Or vice-versa?"

Bella looked down and began to swirl around her tea with the small spoon gave her creating a whirlpool in the center of the cup. She heaved a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumped a bit.

"Baby then break up."

Esme let it sink in for a moment. She didn't need to know why and she didn't want to pose that question anyway, if fear that Bella might feel solely at fault. She wanted to help in any way she could and she needed some information to do so.

"First of all I need to know if this is what you want."

"I wasn't really planning on wanting this, the baby I mean. But now that it's happening, I realized that I do want this baby. He or she is already on their way and I wouldn't have it any other way." She gently pet her abdomen with a slight smile. Esme grinned at Bella's joy.

"Good. To be honest, I know it sounds a bit selfish, but I am excited about my first grandchild. So you have my support. Now, this break up, is _that_ what you want?"

"No! Of course, not. I love Edward. But he doesn't want the baby, so I figured I would just get out of his way. I could live with my dad. We would figure something out. Hopefully, Edward would come around. We wouldn't have to be officially separated…"

"Bella, let me stop you for a moment. You could have come here."

"I didn't want to burden you."

Esme placed her hands gently on either side of Bella's face.

"Bella, you are never a burden. You are part of this family."

She lowered her hand to Bella's stomach, "and so is this baby. We take care of our family. It's what we do."

Bella began to sob. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? You don't have anything to apologize for." She looked at Bella with love in her eyes and care in her heart. "I think you need some rest. Let's get you on up to Alice's old room."

* * *

As Esme continued on with her projects, she became so engrossed that she could barely hear the back door slide open.

"Mom?"

"Edward. I was expecting you to have come earlier."

"I realized that she didn't take the car. So I thought it was safe to assume that she didn't get very far."

"And you didn't go after her?"

Edward looked down in a bit of shame.

"I know what is going on from Bella, but I'd really be pleased to hear your explanation."

"It was a lot to take in, Mom. There was just too much going on."

"Edward, you should have gone after her," Carlisle admonished, "I thought we taught you better than that. And your mother filled me in on what is going on. I am surprised at how long it took you, but we shouldn't worry about that now. Let's move on."

"Where is she?" Edward asked.

"Leave her be, for right now. She's exhausted. She all but cried herself to sleep", Esme chided.

"Have a seat, son. Maybe we can talk this out a little, so you can be a little more level headed by the time she wakes up."

Edward plopped down on a bar stool behind the island in the kitchen, as Carlisle poured him some coffee. Edward was fearful of a lecture, and could see one coming. Both Esme and Carlisle sighed and took the parental stance. But what came from them was a pleasant surprise. A simple question. "So how do you feel about this situation?"

"Honestly?" Edward replied after sipping at the still piping hot coffee.

Carlisle nodded to show his attentiveness.

"I can't really pin anything down. Fear. Regret. Confusion. A little bit of anger. Disappointment. Mostly fear I guess.

"To a certain extent, I can understand why you would feel these things, but can you explain why?" Carlisle continued.

"I don't really understand how this could have happened. We had done everything right. We were safe. It was maybe supposed to happen later on in life when we were done with school, got our degrees. Maybe even landed jobs. She knows this, which is why I can't understand why she wants to keep it. Doesn't she see how this is going to affect all of that? If we keep it, it will mess it all up. You'll both be disappointed. I'll be disappointed with myself. We won't even be able to afford anything because we couldn't get our education which equals minimum wage jobs for the rest of our lives. How are we supposed to support ourselves let alone a child."

"Are you done?"

Edward gave a surprised stare at his father.

"Why are you both so nonchalant about this?"

"Because it seems to us that you have a lot to learn. And it seems like the only way you will learn is experience. We can tell you some things right now, things you already know and few things you will learn like, life isn't easy. You are going to come across things you weren't planning on, like a baby. And by owning up to your responsibility and possibly having to sacrifice some time and energy and even postponing your goals would not disappoint us, but would actually make us proud. We want to see you overcome your obstacles, Edward, both you and Bella. And you mustn't be afraid of failure, for it makes you a little wiser and a little stronger."

"I would also like to add something to that", Esme said walking over to embrace Edward." I think this is a good opportunity for us to really come together as a family. We will try to help as best we can."

"I still don't know", Edward mumbled, "It's a huge responsibility. I think we should… I don't know..."

"Well, son, anything is possible and I think if Bella is certain about her decision I think you should support her on it. I think ultimately it _is_ up to her. But all in due time. For now, just show her you love her."

"You're right", he conceded.

"I think that's all she really wants from you, Edward. Your love. You don't have to dive straight in just yet."

"I guess I should go talk to her."

"Don't wake her up if she is still sleeping. And remember Edward, Love," Esme encouraged.

* * *

Edward slipped in, quietly closing the door behind him. She was exhausted, for sure. He gently crawled into bed beside Bella and pulled back her hair to see her face. By now she would have woken up, but she didn't so much as stir. He figured he would just watch her sleep for the time being. She seemed so at peace. He kept time with the rise and fall of her breathing. He could note the small, but noticeable, changes in her body. Everything seemed to have a slightly fuller look that made her all the more beautiful, almost cherubic. Even though she seemed sick this morning, there was a glow about her. She seemed to take more care of how she slept by sleeping on her side ,like she was aware of the growing being inside of her. He could watch her until the sun rose, but after a while, Edward thought it might be a good idea to get her something to drink and hoped that by the time he got back she'd be awake.

* * *

When he returned, he tried to be as quiet as possible, but as soon as he was just about to settle in next to her, she began to wake.

"Edward?"

"Yes, Love."

She gave him a puzzled and bewildered look. She couldn't tell if she had really woken up. He couldn't have been there next to her. She rubbed her already sore and red eyes with the sleeves of the sweatshirt."What are you doing here?"

Edward let out a small chuckle. "I could probably be asking you the same thing. I thought you'd be half way to Charlie's by now. Did you really think I wouldn't look for you, eventually?"

Bella turned away in embarrassment, "I thought you'd be too angry. And I thought you would figure I would be at Charlie's, like you said. I thought I would be, at least. Sitting there on the couch, anxiously waiting for him to get there so we could figure things out."

"I will have you know, that I am not mad at you entirely. I am just a little frustrated." Bella tried to move away from him, but he lovingly wrapped his arms around her waist so her efforts were in vain. "Love, please talk this out with me."

She gave him a doubtful look, "I don't know if I want to. You seem like you're still upset. Maybe I should give you a few moments to yourself so you can cool off."

Edward chuckled again. "I can assure that it won't be necessary."

"Are you trying to pull some reverse psychology? I have a feeling that you're going to try and talk me out of this, but you can't. I love you, Edward, but I have already made up my mind and I know that this is what's right for us. I can just feel it. I know it's going to work out."

"And that's what I am here to talk to you about. I still think it's probably a bad idea to go ahead with this, but I still love you. Very much. That's what I am here to do and that's what I will _always_ do." He replied pulling her tight to him and kissing her forehead. "But I think it's going to take me a while to warm up to the situation. You are going to have to give me a little time. When I'm hesitant or if I seem distant, please understand that I'm really trying to adjust."

She looked down at her stomach and just stared for a minute, processing what Edward told her.

"I understand. To be honest, I was still trying to wrap my mind around it, but I think I was already ready for it. I just didn't know it until I actually heard the words. I was more concerned with what your reaction would be."

A sheepish smile spread across Edward's face, "I guess you were right about that one. I'm sorry. I am just as guilty of that. I thought Mom and Dad were going to be disappointed. Or at least some sort of bitter."

"I'm sorry, too."

"For what?"

"For walking away when I should have just talked to you."

"I don't think I can hold that against you. I was pretty upset. And I think we have Mom and Dad to thank for being there. Some days, I wonder if we could ever get through life without them."

Bella laughed. "I really don't think so."


	3. What a Difference a Small Bump Made

A/N: This one is more of just a fun fluffy chapter. If you are wondering about when Leah and other characters are going to come in, please be patient. All in due time. I am slowly building up to that, so don't fret. Sorry for any errors. I don't always have time to post; but when I do, there are errors no matter how many times I read over it. Hahaha Anyway, I hope you like it. -YC *I don't own the characters, etc...*

* * *

"Honey, we are going to be late!" Bella yelled as she walked toward the door. She realized Edward wasn't following so she turned back and took a look around the cottage. She found him sitting on their bed looking out the window, far off into the distance. "Edward, what's wrong?" she asked leaning on his knee for support as she tried to settle into a comfortable position beside him.

"I don't know if I am ready for this."

"Okay", she paused, "Well, I'll give you some time to think about it. I'll be waiting in the car. Just let me know if you want to come." She tried not to let him see the sadness in her eyes as she walked away. He didn't go last time either. She was really hoping he'd join her for this appointment. She had to keep reminding herself that he still needed time. She can't force him out of his comfort zone. But there wasn't much time left. She was already well over halfway through this pregnancy and Esme told her that the last half was the fastest part. She closed her eyes and sighed. She was going to have to deal with going alone. It would be all right.

Just as she was about to open the car door she felt his hand gently touch her wrist. "Let's go. I'll drive."

* * *

He was shaking. He could barely open the car door when they got there. Bella chuckled watching him in his nervousness. He looked over. "What?"

"Nothing'', she smiled, "I didn't mean to laugh at you… It's just that you are so nervous, you'd think you were having the baby."

It was his turn to close his eyes. He leaned back and tried to relax as best he could. She reached for his hand and gripped it tight. The medical assistant looked over at Bella and glanced at Edward. "Is he going to be alright?" She asked.

"It's his first time coming with me to an appointment. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"You can assure him that he'll be out of here in no time. No need to panic."

Bella smiled, as she rubbed his hand trying to comfort Edward.

"As a matter of fact, the doctor is ready to see you now. If you will follow me…" Bella leaned over to and whispered into Edward's ear.

"Honey, are you ready?"

No response. She could still feel him shivering. "Edward."

He finally opened his eyes and looked at her. "As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

They were ushered into a room filled with charts and graphs of reproductive anatomy. Birth methods. Birth control. Edward scoffed at that one. Had that one worked, they wouldn't be here. He continued on looking over the clay models; it was so much information it made his head spin. Carmen walked in. A familiar face to the Cullens. She had been friends with Carlisle and Esme ever since their college days. "Well it's nice to see you both," she said hugging both of them. "I am glad you could make it this time, Edward."

He could only respond with a nervous smile. The anxiety was almost debilitating.

"How are you feeling today, Bella?"

"So far so good. Nothing new", She smiled.

Carmen glanced over at Edward and noticed his glazed over stare. "Are you okay there, Edward?"

"Uh, yeah. Never better."

"Maybe you should take a seat before we get started." Carmen pulled a chair over for Edward to take. She began to start Bella's examination. Poking and prodding. Measuring and listening. She finally asked, "Would you liked to know the gender of the baby?"

"Can we?" Bella asked eagerly as Edward just continued on in his glazed over look, not answering.

"I am pretty sure. You are pretty far along, a little over 20 weeks so we shouldn't have any problem figuring it out. And our lovely ultrasound tech is the cream of the crop," Carmen winked."Edward, did you want to wait outside for this part? I promise no one will think any less of you if you want to."

Edward snapped out of his stupor. Of course, he didn't want to seem like an absolute coward. "No, I'll be fine."

"Let me go get our tech Christy. Edward… are you sure?"

Edward gripped the arm rests of the chair as he shifted his weight to one side. "Yeah. Yes. Yeah", he said trying to act relaxed.

Carmen smiled as she walked out to get Christy. Seconds later, Christy arrived and introduced herself. "Hi, there. I'm Christy. I'll be your ultrasound tech for today. I'm told you want to find out the gender of your baby today?"

Edward leaned over and whispered to Bella, "She sounds like a waitress."

"She managed to take your mind off of your worries for a moment, didn't she?" Bella laughed and then turned to respond to Christy, "Yes, please."

"Alright, Bella. I'm going to ask you to lean back and roll up your top a ways for me. We'll set this blanket here if you could just pull your waistband down a bit. Thank you. We are all set." Christy rolled the ultrasound machine closer to Bella and withdrew the wand. She squirted some gel onto Bella's abdomen and the swooshing gush of a small heart beat began to pulse through the room. "Can you see that pumping shape there?That's the baby's heart. Looks like a it's a strong one." Bella turned to look over at Edward and just as she did, he was out of her sight. "Edward!" She yelled as she futilely tried to reach for him. Christy stopped everything and went to help Edward.

"Mr. Cullen, can you hear me?" Edward's eyes remained closed. "Mr. Cullen?" Edward finally came to and began to blink.

"Can you sit up for me? Let's just lean you up against the wall here and we'll have the doc come take a look at that." Edward touched his head. A bump was starting to form under the small gash that marked his head. He looked at his hand and saw blood. Christy handed him a piece of gauze. "Place that on your head and apply some pressure."

"Ow."

"Yeah, you kinda hit a few things on your way down."

"Oh, Edward." Bella clicked her tongue as she examined his head. "Honey." He flinched as she got closer to the wound.

"Shall we continue?" Christy smiled.

"Please. Don't let me stop you. God, that's embarrassing," he whispered as he propped himself up a bit more to see what was going on.

"Let's get the show on the road, then. So again, there's the heartbeat. And let's see if we can get a good shot. Yep." Christy pressed a few more buttons and swirled the wand around a little more. "Oh, here we are. It's a girl! And she seems to be trying to get our attention. There are her fingers. She's waving at you." Bella's smile radiated through the room. Christy continued on with the introduction of the baby to the expectant parents. "There are her nose and lips."

"She looks just like you, Edward", Bella said happily.

Edward leaned in, still holding the gauze to his wound. He could see it. The outline of her face. The contour of her cheeks and lips. Her little body flipped over. "Looks like she's trying to tell us, 'No, more pictures, please.' It was my pleasure to take you on a tour of Bella's womb." Christy announced with a smile. "So do you need to see any of our pamphlets on alternatives or options about the pregnancy?"

"No", both Bella and Edward said in unison with incredulous looks. There would be no reason for that in their minds now more than ever.

"She's ours. We definitely aren't considering anything else." Edward added. Bella couldn't believe what she was hearing. He wanted her. He actually wanted their baby. She was completely taken aback. It was almost overwhelming.

"Well, okay. Let's get a complete print out of these screen shots and we will get the doc back in here. And hopefully, she can help you out with that", Christy said gesturing to Edwards cut. She left the room and shortly came back to hand Bella and Edward the pictures of their baby. "Watch out. Grandparents go crazy over these," She smiled.

"Thank you", Bella said as she took the screen shots from Christy's hand.

* * *

They began their trip back home. The car ride was shorter than they had anticipated, probably out of the excitement of knowing what they were having. Bella still couldn't get over the fact that Edward now wanted their baby as much as she did. They pulled up to the driveway of the Cullen's house and eagerly walked to the door. Edward knocked.

"You know, honey, I'm sorry If you felt guilt tripped into coming. You probably wouldn't have those stitches if I would have just gone by myself. It hurts just to look at it."

"It's fine love. It's not your fault. I figured I'd man up and come. And I am glad I went. Really glad," He smiled as he reached down to touch the small bump that is his daughter.

"Hello…" Esme gasped upon seeing Edward's stitches. "What happened?"

"He went to the appointment with me", Bella explained.

"Come in and sit down. I want to hear all about it. Everyone else will be coming soon and I want you all to myself before it gets too crowded for Emmett and Rosalie's wedding. Your father's here and he might get a laugh out of your story." Esme led them to the kitchen, and they sat at the island as she prepared coffee and tea for all. Carlisle came into the room within seconds and promptly asked about Edward's misfortune. Both Edward and Bella began to excitedly relay the events of the day. "I don't know. It was like it was all meant to happen. I can't explain exactly what if felt like, but when I heard her little heart beat, it set everything into motion. I instantly fell in love. I forgot to breathe, I guess. Next thing I know I'm on the floor", Edward explained.

"It seems like she has you wrapped around her little finger", Esme smiled.

"It was amazing to see everything, _even_ her little fingers. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that there is a tiny human being growing inside of Bella. It really changed my perspective and I am grateful. I know she's going to be a lot of work, no sleep, but I think Bella and I can do it."

"We think you can, too", Carlisle smiled.

"So do you have any pictures?" Esme asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Bella said pulling out the screen shots.

Esme eagerly took them from Bella as Carlisle came behind her to look at them with her. "Oh my… She looks like you, Edward."

Edward chuckled, "that's what Bella said."

Esme sighed. "My first grandchild. I am so excited! Wait until Alice hears that the baby is a girl! She'll be so overjoyed."

* * *

Soon after Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice arrived bearing gifts. The entire Cullen crew was assembled. There were gasps and guffaws as Bella and Edward retold their story around the dinner table. As Esme predicted, Alice was ovely happy about finding out that she was going to have a niece. "How perfect is that! I had a strong feeling it was going to be a girl. Which brings us the PRESENT TIME! Let's go to the living room."

Bella and Edward looked at each other and laughed. Alice _would_ take any opportunity she had to plan surprises. They sat down and dispersed the gifts to Bella and Edward. A car seat, clothes all in light pastel colors, blankets, all the baby essentials. There was so much.

"You guys really didn't have to do this, but thank you so much. I think we have enough time before she is due to arrive. I know it's going to go by fast though."

"I figured you wouldn't want a huge baby shower so we decided to give you a small one since we're all here. And you know I just couldn't wait to start doting on my niece."

"Alice." Bella shook her head. "Thanks." Alice came over to Bella and gave her a hug. She couldn't believe that her best friend was going to have a baby so soon.

"So how are you feeling Bella?" Rosalie asked.

"Good so far, although, I am beginning to look and feel a little like a small whale."

"You don't look like one at all. I am serious. I hope to look that good when Emmett and I have kids some day."

"For being half way through the pregnancy you look great. Just be careful not to lose weight. I think you're right about where you should be," Carlisle said. Bella blushed. She felt a little uncomfortable with everyone staring at her. She knew they were only concerned and happy for her, but all the attention was a little overwhelming.

"Do you think you are up for the wedding, still?"Emmett asked, ''because we still really would love to have you in the wedding party. If you're up for it."

"I haven't been told that I can't and I feel fine."

"You still have 2 weeks if you need to back out."

"Is that a challenge Emmett?" Bella asked. Emmett just shrugged with a smirk, always ready to tease his other little sister.


	4. Reassurance

A/N: Another sorta filler. I really want to build up, here, if you couldn't tell. Haha Hopefully you like this one. -YC *I don't own the characters, etc...*

* * *

The day of Emmett and Rosalie's wedding was here. Everyone was bustling about including Edward who was to be the best man. "Bella," He whispered,"do you want to get up now? It's about noon. I think Alice is coming to pick you up soon."

Bella's eyes shot open and she quickly tried to get out of bed, but nearly fell. Fortunately, Edward was there to steady her.

"Whoa! Be careful. There's no rush. Alice will understand."

"My equilibrium is so off today. And I can't believe I slept until 12. What would've happened if you hadn't got me up?" Bella grumbled as she made her way to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and desperately tried to wipe the grogginess from her eyes. Another bout of vertigo threatened to tip her over. But she was able to wash it off as she steadied herself to splash water on her face. She had to get ready as quickly as possible. As she stepped into the shower, she noticed a slight dull soreness in her back. "You can't possibly weigh this much, little girl", She whispered. There was a small flutter as if the baby was responding to her. She continued on as quickly as she could, carefully trying to maneuver around the bathroom to beat the clock without doing any damage. She was going at a decent rate until she tried to get into her dress.

"Edward?" He was at the bedroom doorway in an instant. "Yes, love."

"I need a little help. I can't get this to zip up."

"How about we start again?" He said removing the dress from the point that Bella got stuck. She looked at the mirror and sighed, "No wonder I can't get into this dress, I've gained like 10 pounds." She bit her lip and her face flushed with embarrassment. Edward set the dress down and wrapped his arms just at Bella's waist. "Love, you look gorgeous. I don't think you have gained any weight. And even if you have, it's definitely in all the right places. You really can't tell. You look exactly like someone who is carrying precious cargo, cargo that just so happens to be getting bigger and not you." He rubbed her shoulders and traced a line down and around her stomach until his hands reached her thighs and finally rested back on her hips. Bella almost leaned into him and moaned, but she caught herself. She had to stop. "I would so want to do this right now, but we are going to be late, Honey", she said stealing a kiss. She was surprised at how easily her hormones could rage. It was so instantaneous.

* * *

Before they knew it, Alice had arrived. "Alice, have you ever considered doing 1 shot of espresso instead of 2?" Edward quipped. "Yeah, but 2 are all the better to annoy you with, my dear brother" She responded with a wink. "By the way, Jasper should be coming around again for you in a little bit. You guys have to be prompt for the photos. If you aren't, I'll come after you all! You should know by now not to mess with the Alice. I'll be watching you," Alice said pointing a finger at Edward. "Are you ready, Bella?"

"Only because I want this to be a good day for Emmett and Rosalie."

"Good. Let's get to it, then."

"You look absolutely fine, Bella," Edward tried his best to reassure her. "I'll see you in a little bit. I love you." He bent down and whispered, "I love you, too" to their baby as he pecked Bella's stomach with a kiss.

"Oh, Edward. You are going to make me cry. Which will not be good! I just got my make up done. And we are on a tight schedule. No room for error", Alice complained. "Come on, Bella, before I get too emotional."

* * *

The wedding was perfect and went off without a hitch. The venue was exquisite and the entire area was bejeweled. The theme was a nod to Art Deco. Chandeliers and center pieces glistened in the soft mood lighting. Glass vases filled with fresh white flowers- carnations, champagne colored roses and baby's breath. Dashes of rose, gold and silver colors splashed across chairs and tables. It was everything Rosalie had asked for and imagined it would be. Emmett couldn't take his eyes off of his dazzling wife. Things even got a little spicy as they fed each other cake. The party was running so smoothly.

But Bella, try as she might, couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She felt lightheaded. She searched for the opportune time to sneak out of sight and just relax for a little. Maybe she would be able to recover under the radar. Though, Edward could see it in her eyes. When they heard that it was time for another round of dancing, he took her hand and lead her to a clear and empty room that seemed devoid of foot traffic. "Love, are you okay?"

"I don't know."

"You definitely don't look it. Come sit down and I'll go get Dad." Bella nodded as she stroked her abdomen. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. She thought that maybe she had just overdone it and needed a breather. Just as he said, Edward returned within moments, with Carlisle in tow.

"Bella, what are you feeling right now? Do you have any pain anywhere?"

"There's a little pain in my ankles and back. But my heart feels like it's pounding. And I… it's kinda… hard to breathe."

Carlisle gently pulled her wrist into his hand and began to check her heart rate. "How long have you been feeling like this?"

"The achy feeling? Since this morning, but everything else is pretty recent."

"Alright, Edward you need to take Bella to the emergency room. Her heart rate is a little too fast for my liking. She needs to be seen and soon. I'll meet you there."

"You can't leave," Bella murmured, "They'll notice. I don't want to ruin their evening. It's their time. It might cause too much of a scene. It might be more believable it we said I was too tired and had to leave early."

Carlisle conceded, "Esme and I will get there as soon as we can", as he gave Edward a pat on the shoulder.

* * *

Within minutes Bella was hooked up to an IV and monitors for both her and the baby. Things beeped. Wires were attached to her fingers, chest, and stomach. Edward did his best to be her rock. So many tests. It was already near 1 am. He held her hand. She was shivering. "Are you cold, baby?"

"I don't know. I think it's just nerves getting the best of me. I've never had to spend an evening in a hospital."

"I promise I won't leave the hospital. I'll stay with you until they make me leave. But I think I need get to some blankets for you." Edward quickly walked over to the nurses' station and asked for a few blankets. He returned and gently spread it over her body as best he could, being careful of the wires and tubes. "Mmmm… that feels so good."

Edward chuckled, "I had a feeling you were cold." Moments later, the doctor stepped in. "Mrs. Cullen, it seems like we are going to have to keep you until morning. With the medicine we gave you, everything seems to be equalizing, but without a doubt it does appear that you have preeclampsia. It's seems as though it's a mild case, but we still want to make sure you are stable enough for a good amount of time and then we can send you on your way. We can also remove some of these wires here. I'll have one of the nurses come and make sure you are all set for the night. Rest up. "

"Thank you." The Doctor smiled and nodded as he turned to leave. One of the nurses came in and removed as much as she possibly could. Edward scooted closer to the bed. He could see the tears brimming at Bella's eyelids. She tried to rub the tears from her eyes, but it wouldn't let up. They came trickling down her face.

"Everything is going to be okay, love."

"I know. I know. I was trying to do everything to protect her. To make sure she's safe. It's what I am supposed to be able to do and I … I can't even… I can't even do that."

"Bella, you are doing everything you possibly can. Don't blame yourself. It happens. We will get through this." Edward moved to sit beside Bella in the hospital bed. She gave a weak smile and clung to him, burying her face in his chest. The tears fell upon his shirt as he kissed her forehead and swept back her hair. Her breathing began to even out and he knew that she was finally at peace. There was no thrashing in her sleep. As a matter of fact, she only clung to Edward tighter. A nurse came in with a warm blanket and pillow in hand. She paused. "I'll just leave these here." Edward smiled and mouthed a "thank you". The nurse smiled and left them to rest. Soon Edward fell asleep with Bella tucked safely in his arms.

* * *

Bella began to wake up just as the sun was beginning to rise at her window. She began to stretch ,but to her dismay, did not feel Edward next to her. She almost began to panic. "Edward… Edward?" No answer. She frantically looked for a clock. What time was it? Why would he leave her? Could she have punched him in her sleep? She noticed the clock on the wall in the middle of the room. 8:30. "Can I leave?" She wondered, "Where's the doctor? I should probably be okay to be discharged, right? Maybe a nurse… nurse button… nurse button. Where are you when I need it."

"Love, what are you doing?" Bella stopped in her tracks. His voice, that's all she needed to hear to stop her heart from racing. Edward noticed the panic in her face, almost a pleading come to relief. "What's wrong?"

"I thought you were gone."

"No. I just went to go get some coffee."

"Oh."

Edward set down his coffee on the rolling bedside table, grabbed Bella's hands with his hand and stroked her cheek with the other. "I would never and will never leave you." Edward leaned in for a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"We should probably try and relax so we can get you out of here", he smiled. He placed his hands on Bella's stomach, cradling it. He raised his eyebrows. "Is that her? Right there?" Surprise was written on his face. Bella laughed, "Yeah. That's the first time you've felt her kick?"

"Yes. For some reason, she usually seems sort of shy around me. Do you feel that all the time?"

"Most of the time for the past several weeks. I'm pretty sure she's probably the one that woke me up today", She chuckled. "Wow. I don't know whether to feel sorry for you or to be absolutely mesmerized."Edward had a smile that expressed sheer wonder. A soft knock came from the door way. It was Carlisle and Esme hands full with flowers, a card and a teddy bear. "Good morning." Esme quickly came over to hug Bella. "Did you sleep well, my dear?"

"I think so."

"I think it would be safe to say so. She had me in a death grip the entire night; it was hard for me to get out of it when I woke up this morning." Bella blushed as she looked down to pet her belly in attempt to hide her embarrassment. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about, sweetie. It was probably more comfortable that way. Pretty soon you will probably need a pillow. Edward might not be as comfortable to sleep on as you get further along", Esme advised.

"So what did the doctor tell you?"Carlisle asked.

"She has preeclampsia. He says that Bella can be released today if all is more or less normal when Carmen comes to do a check up, which should be in about an hour or so."

"That means we have some work to do. We are all here to help you, Bella. In any way we can. Actually, Esme and I were thinking it might be a good idea for you and Edward to move into the main house, just until the baby gets here. If you feel it's too crowded, you can feel free to move back to the cottage."

"We couldn't do that to you", Bella protested.

"It really wouldn't be any trouble at all. It would make us feel better."

"I think it would be a good thing, Love. Especially, when school starts."

Bella thought about it for a few moments. She knew that it would probably be best, with her record of having things get out of hand. She could use the extra eyes and ears. "Only if it's really okay with you."

"Of course", Carlisle and Esme agreed.

* * *

An hour passed and just on time, Carmen came with the okay that Bella was free to go. Her check-ups would become more frequent and she would really need to take care of herself. Bed rest, which Bella wasn't too happy about, and of course, good nutrition. If anything felt off in anyway, she needed to come in as soon as possible, no hesitations. Everything could go well.


	5. The Best Laid Plans

So this one is going to be a little longer, perhaps because it's a little more eventful, but also. I won't be able to update as much since spring break is officially over. *insert "boooo!" track here*. So hopefully this will tie you over for a bit. I will do my best to get another chapter out by the end of this week. But for now, here's this one! Enjoy! -YC *I don't own the characters, etc.*

* * *

It had been several weeks since Bella's trip to the hospital. Several trips to Carmen's office. Several screen shots of the baby. School was about to start in a few weeks which was going to add to Bella's work load. The Cullens were doing all they could to keep Bella well rested and healthy, for her sake as well as the Baby's. Carmen always gave her a reminder of that at every appointment. The leaves were beginning to change color, but still desperately trying to hold onto their summer green.

"You want to go for a walk?" Edward asked, "Maybe a visit with Charlie after?"

"That actually sounds nice. I need to stretch out my legs a little bit. I think she's beginning to get a little cramped in there." Bella observed.

Nowadays, tasks were a little bit harder for Bella to accomplish. She always seemed to need some sort of help whether she liked it or not. This pregnancy for some reason her body was just not having it. Everything ached, or was stiff because she felt nearly winded after doing certain activities that required her to stand and be on her feet. She seemed to have all the symptoms of someone at the end of her pregnancy instead of someone nearing the beginning of her third trimester. Edward offered his arm for support. Bella leaned on him as much as her awkward waddle would allow and they both began their walk. Edward was always careful to take breaks even when she thought she didn't need it.

"So what are you thinking about school? You going to skip this semester? Continue next semester?"

"Sophomore year is a big deal. I can't slow down now. I think it's safe to keep going."

Edward gave her a questioning look.

"Look, she isn't supposed to make her debut until November. That's over halfway and pretty much the end of the semester. I'll see if I can work something out with the professors so I can be ready for finals and we can keep moving forward."

"I'm not so sure that it's a good idea. Sophomore year is the hardest. If you aren't careful she could come sooner."

Bella mulled it over as they continued walking, not thoroughly convinced. She kept on telling herself that she could. Maybe there was some compromise she could reach that might not make it as difficult as a regular semester.

"Wait, how about this, I can go part time so it will be half of the work load so I can spend most of my days at home. And it will be more like homeschool."

"If that's really what you want to do. I just want you to be careful, my love."

"I want to do it for her. The faster I get out of school the more time I can spend with you and her."

"I think we will have to see what we can work out. Just take it one step at a time. There is no rush", he responded. "We have Mom's help. She really wants to be a super involved grandmother."

* * *

They pulled up to Charlie's house. The steps leading up to the doorway seemed like they were steeper than Bella remembered. She was huffing and puffing by the time they reached the top. Edward pulled her up to the doorway at the last step.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just need to catch my breath", Bella responded with one hand on her back and the other on her stomach. Edward rang the doorbell and quickly stood next to Bella so she could use him to support her weight.

"Edward. Bells! Good to see you, kiddo", he said embracing Bella. " How are you feeling these days?"

"I love the kid already, but she's poking and kicking and punching. I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with it. I feel like my insides are keeping her well entertained", Bella said, trying to get comfortable on the couch.

"Glad to say that I don't know how that feels. Can I get you guys something to drink?"

"Water's good. Thanks, Dad."

Charlie came back into the living room with the water.

"So how is school going for you two? Are you going this semester?"

"Edward is, for sure, and I plan to go and get through most of it."

"You don't want to take a break this semester. Get your bearings then go back next semester? I remember when you were born. There was definitely some adjusting to do. You were up all hours of the day and night. Cute kid, but you sure kept us busy."

They continued on updating each other on the most recent events, like the Clearwaters nearing their first year with their first child. "They named her Leah. Harry thinks he's far too old to be a Dad, but I told him he doesn't look a day older than the day I met him. I'm sure your mother says the same thing about being a grandmother."

Bella grimaced gulping down a mouthful of water, "Well... I haven't told her about that, exactly."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Ahhh. So that's why she's been calling me for the past couple of weeks. You haven't talked to her?"

"The last time I talked to her I got as far as telling her about being in the hospital, but then she said she had to go because they were going to miss their flight to Phil's semi-finals. She said she'd call me back or send me a message, but she never did. I assumed they were busy so I just let it go."

"I think you should call her."

"I want to, Dad, I really do, but I feel like she's just too distracted all the time. I want her advice on things, but I feel like I am going to interfere in her life's goal of pleasing Phil and following his dreams."

"She's off doing her own thing, now. Maybe she'll come around eventually."

"Maybe", Bella said with a slight frown.

"You know you have me and of course, Edward, here."

"And Mom and Dad", Edward added.

"You have a lot of people here for you, Bells. Anytime."

"I know. Thanks, Dad." Bella said as she reached over to hug her father.

* * *

As soon as they returned home, Alice nearly crashed into them eager to greet them with a surprise. "So , I have a surprise for you, but it's not here. It's actually in your cottage."

"Alice. What did you do? Did you let Emmett near the house?"

"Yes."

"This can't be good."

"Jeez, Edward. Have a little more faith in your brother. He does things well. When he's under close supervision. Rosalie's to be exact."

"This has got to be good."

Alice led them back to the cottage, telling them about her dreams for life after the Art Institute.

"So are you ready?" She asked.

They both gave her an emphatic look.

"Surprise!"Alice exclaimed.

"Oh my gosh!" Bella replied. The room was completely remade. Everything a growing child would need all organized about the room. The colors were gentle and neutral- soft crèmes and light faded pink on the walls and in little accents here and there. The crib was the centerpiece of the room. It was already fitted with a baby monitor,blankets and sheets.

"Wow. I will hand it to you. Emmett didn't mess this one up."

"I told you."

"This is too much , Alice. First the mini baby shower, now this."

"Something had to be done. This room was a white blank canvas. It was just calling my name. Although, it was calling Mom's name ,too. It was very much a collaborative effort, including Emmett, Jazz and Rose", Alice said proudly.

"Thank you, so much", Bella said hugging her best friend.

"It really was my pleasure."

* * *

Edward tried to maneuver as quietly as he possibly could to get ready for class. As if 7 o'clock wasn't early enough, he still had to drive 30 minutes to university campus and it may take at least 15 minutes to find parking, on a good day. Bella didn't have class until 4 pm so Edward figured the more sleep she could get the better. He kissed her forehead and whispered goodbye. She stirred a little and even returned a kiss, but went right back to sleep. Everyday, she grew a little more exhausted. Sleep would come so easily if she could find a comfortable position to sleep in. This usually involved a pillow and an arm or leg of Edward. It was beginning to take a toll on him as well, but he didn't complain because ,from the information he gleaned from the conversations with his dad, he knew he was getting the better end of the deal. Bella woke a short while after Edward left. There was a new pain in her lower back, sharper than usual. She thought that if she could just go back to sleep, maybe put some heat on it, that it would go away on its own. With all the twists and turns of pregnancy, she was unsure what to think was normal. She felt it best not to complain. She only had approximately 2 months left, but they couldn't come fast enough. She managed to fall asleep a few more times- 15 minutes intervals at maximum. Somewhere within that time, Esme left a note on the nightstand next to Bella. She had to run a few errands and would try to be back sooner than she'd notice. Hopefully. Bella woke up to more pain, this time coming from her abdomen. She wondered if severe dehydration would do something like this. She was drinking more water than she thought she should, but maybe that wasn't enough. Bella pulled herself out of bed and made it to the bottom of the stairs, just as another wave of pain shot through and tensed her entire body. She clenched her teeth. "This can't be good", she thought as everything in her sight went black.

"Bella!" Edward yelled running toward her as fast as he could. Her body slumped to the ground. He slid on the floor next to her to prevent her head from hitting the floor. He frantically checked all signals that could indicate she was breathing, but there was nothing there. He tried to prop her head in a way that her air passage would stay clear. He knew he had to do CPR and try to call 911. But he didn't have enough hands for that. He kept pumping. "C'mon Bella. Breathe! C'mon! C'mon!" Another puff of air. "C'mon, baby. Breathe, Baby. Please stay with me." After a few moments of more compression and a few puffs of air, she started to breathe again on her own. "That's right. Now stay with me." Edward wasted no time. He quickly picked her up and moved as fast as he possibly could to the car. She looked over not saying a word. He could see it all in her eyes. If he didn't get her to the hospital in time this would not end well. Edward peeled out of the driveway and on to the pavement. The car's engine whirred in protest, but still kept going. "It's going to be okay, baby. Hold on, please", he begged.

Bella gripped the arm rest on the door. Her nails dug into it, her knuckles white as snow. She let out a yelp. She shut her eyes, but couldn't push past the pain. "Oh, God, Oh, God!" Edward exclaimed trying to keep his eyes on the road and check on Bella. He pounded his fist against the steering wheel, willing the car to go faster. He could now see the hospital. It was still a little ways a way.

"Just a few more seconds, Love."

As soon as he turned the corner there were flashing police lights behind him. "No! I'm not stopping", he protested.

The cop was right on his tail as he pulled into the Emergency room parking. He furiously got out of the car and went around getting Bella out. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins.

"Edward!"

He knew that voice. He glanced back, but still kept going on and raced to open the door. Sure enough, it was Charlie who finally realized what was going on and raced to open the door. Edward frantically searched for something to rest Bella on. There was a wheel chair up against the wall. He quickly placed her in and raced to a nurses' station.

"Can I help you?"

Edward gave the nurse an incredulous look, "Yeah! My wife is pregnant and barely breathing!"

"All right, I am going to need you to fill out some forms…"

Edward was fuming. Was she being serious right now? This had to be a joke.

"We don't have time for that!"

"Edward?" Carlisle was there.

"Dad, you have to help her!"

Carlisle looked over to see Charlie crouched next to Bella, holding her hand as her entire body tensed once more. Carlisle started issuing orders to the nearest available nurse. He knew time was of the essence. Edward rushed back to Bella and grabbed her free hand. She squeezed it tight. They got her on a gurney and Carlisle issued more orders for various medicines, monitors and IVs. "Son, you are going to have to step out for a few minutes. We have to try and stabilize her." Edward nodded and found himself in the waiting room with Charlie. He nervously rubbed his neck trying to rub the tension out to keep himself distracted from the not knowing. Charlie patted his shoulder; it was all he could do to offer comfort. Edward appreciated the gesture, but still couldn't shake his mind from the situation.

What went wrong? Why was this happening?

A few hours went by. Esme arrived along with Emmett and Rosalie. "Oh my god, Edward. I am so sorry. I should have been there."

"Mom, how is this your fault? It's not. It's my fault. I should have been there. I should have asked her how she was feeling. This was my greatest fear since the semester started. I had a feeling it was all going to be too much. She looked like she was in so much pain on the way over here. I can still see it. It's permanently etched into my mind."

Esme looked up as Carlisle walked into the room "We have her stabilized for now. We had to give her some medication to slow down the rate of the contractions. She was about to go into complete labor. Before you go see her, do you mind if I ask how this happened."

"To be honest, I don't know. I got home and I had just opened the door. I saw her stop at the bottom of the stairs. Something didn't feel right at all. She slumped down and I ran to try and catch her before she fell on the floor. She stopped breathing and I couldn't feel a pulse. I started doing compressions and got her to be conscious and breathing again. She had one or two episodes of severe contractions on the way. I tried to get here as fast as I could."

"Edward, "Carlisle assured, "You saved her life. You did well, son."

"I'll take you to her. I think everything is going to be alright."

* * *

Edward quietly stepped into the room. She looked over and smiled a weak smile with all she could muster in an attempt to reassure him that she was okay for now.

"I'll leave you two to have some time to yourselves." Carlisle looked at his watch, "Carmen should be getting here soon. In the meantime we will probably be having someone from the lab come get a blood sample and we will proceed from there."

"Thanks, Dad."

Carlisle nodded and smiled as he turned to leave.

Bella was covered in wires, tubes, straps and cuffs. The most obvious was a band across her belly with a monitor attached to it.

Edward sat down and grabbed her hand while rubbing her belly with the other.

"I think she's trying to rest now. Poor baby. My body was trying to get her out. I hope she's okay. She's not supposed to come this early."

Edward gave her a small smile.

"You should rest too, my love."

Carmen stepped into the room. "Well, hello there. Let's have a look to see what's going on." Carmen walked over to the monitor where it was currently pumping out readings for the baby's heart rate. She hemmed and hawed over the findings. Edward was becoming anxious. He couldn't make out what was going on. She finally just came out with it. She looked at both of them giving them equal attention.

"So it looks like baby will be coming tonight or about early morning rather. "

"What?" Bella exclaimed, "No! That can't be happening! It's too early. She has at least another 6 weeks."

"Bella, baby, calm down,"

"While I admit it's quiet early, we really don't have any other option unfortunately. There is a lot of stress on the baby and her heart rate refuses to go down. We are going to get you prepped for a c-section. It's what would be most beneficial for her, Bella, or else I would not have suggested it."

Bella frowned. "I understand."

"I'll be back in a bit", Carmen said. "It will be okay."

* * *

A little while later an anesthesiologist came in. "Hi, my name is Peter. I will be with you through the entire anesthesia process. I get to help you on your way to delivering your new baby." There was now a nurse in the room helping Bella to sit up. "You ready, Mommy?"

"As ready as I will ever be."

"You seem like a strong woman", she said with a reassuring smile.

"Can my husband stay with me?"

The nurse paused. "You think you are up for it, Dad?"

Without any hesitation, Edward immediately responded with a sure "yes!"

"We got to get you suited up. It has to be a completely sterile environment."

Edward nodded. "We'll get you some scrubs and we'll be ready to go."

He suited up as quickly as possible and came back to Bella's side. She smiled.

"You look like a surgeon."

He grinned back. "It's what I aim to be." He winked.

The anesthesiologist explained what was going to happen. He said that if there were any complications, Edward might have to leave the room. They were then all prepped and ready to go.

* * *

They were in the operating room. The walls blank white and a bright light shining just above. There were a few other nurses gathered around with various instruments and other supplies to ensure a safe delivery. Bella's lips began to quiver. Her face began to pale a little.

"It's gonna be okay, baby." Edward said rubbing her shoulder."I love you," He whispered kissing her forehead.

"I love you, too.

The operation began and the only noise Bella could audibly hear was the beeping of the monitor that kept track of her own heart rate. It was uncomfortably quiet for her. Edward was just as anxious, nervously looking for any indication that their baby was prepared to greet the world. And finally Carmen announced, "Your precious baby girl. " She passed her to a nurse who quickly showed her to Bella and Edward. Bella responded with a sleepy, "So beautiful" and things began to get out of control again. The nurse took their baby to the NICU and Bella was slipping out of consciousness. Unbeknownst to Edward, she was losing a good amount of blood. Machines beeped incessantly keeping a frantic rhythm. The next thing Edward knew he was being ushered out of the Operating Room and into the hallway. He slumped down against the wall, his head in his hands.

"God, oh God. Please just let them be okay."

* * *

Carlisle found Edward in the hallway, still frozen like a statue. Immobile. One of the nurses paged him and told him what was happening.

"Come on, son. Let's go see your daughter. Right now you have to let them do their best to help Bella."

Carlisle stretched his arm out to help get Edward on his feet.

"I think you should probably get some rest after we see her."

Carlisle placed his arm on Edward's shoulder as they walked down the corridor to the NICU. It wasn't a far walk. They reached the room and paused.

"Now, Edward you have to remember she is quite early. I know you might have seen her for a second or two, but this time it might be a little more difficult. She has wires and tubes everywhere. She's stable, but not quite in the clear yet. Hopefully, you'll get to be able to hold her soon. She seems like a strong one." Carlisle smiled as they approached the incubator that held precious cargo. Edward couldn't believe all the wires that were all over her body. It didn't seem real. Everything about her little body screamed clinging on for dear life.

"She's breathing on her own. It's actually somewhat surprising considering how early she is. Of course, she does need a little help, which is why she still has an oxygen tube. She maybe in here for a while. She's beautiful, Edward."

A tear slid down Edward's cheek as he placed his hand on the glass case surrounding her.

"You can touch her. I hear it's encouraged by the NICU doctors and nurses."

Edward looked hesitant.

He slipped his hand through the hole and took a deep breath as he placed the tip of his finger on her tiny palm. The baby reacted wrapping her fingers around his one.

"She really is a sight to behold. She's more than anything I could have imagined."

"She looks a lot like you, Edward."

"I can't wait for Bella to see her."

"All in due time", Carlisle patted Edward's shoulder. "Do you have a name for her?"

"Not exactly. We sort of thought we would have a little more time to think about it. But I think I am going to leave it up to Bella. After all that she's been through, I think she should name our child whatever she wants. I think she did say that she wanted to use our moms' names in some way."

"Maybe you can talk to her about that soon."

* * *

A few hours later, Edward was able to go see Bella. Her tired and healing body wanted more rest. He waited patiently. There needed to be some calm for her. She has been through so much. It was a maelstrom of emotions and pain. Her body was about to give up. But she, just like their baby, was doing the best she could to get well. Bella slowly began to stir. Her eyes flicked open and struggled to stay open.

"Good Morning, My love."

"Edward... Where is she?"

"She's in the NICU."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Dad says so. She's beautiful. The most beautiful baby I've seen."

"She's the only Baby you've seen in a while," Bella said giving a weak chuckle.

"It doesn't matter. She would be, regardless. Even if I were to see every baby in the world."

"That's because she's ours."

"Half you, half me", he agreed.

"More you than me, I hope. I want to see her."

"I want you to see her too, but we have to get the doctor's okay."

"Can we call someone? Like a nurse. I need to see her."

Edward called the nurses' station to see what they could do.


	6. One Step At A Time

I figured I had a little time left so I could squeeze in a **TINY **chapter (more like paragraph), before I change things up a bit in the plot. I hope to have it pick up a little bit. We shall see how this goes... -YC *I don't own twilight, characters, etc...* Here you go!

* * *

Edward wheeled Bella into the NICU. There were babies in various areas, some just as covered in wires and tubes as their baby. As they approached, Bella gasped with tears running down her cheeks. "Oh my gosh. She's so tiny." Bella leaned up against the glass of the incubator. "She really is beautiful."

"Do we have a name for her?"

Bella paused as she placed her hand atop the glass.

"Yeah. Renesmee."

"Renesmee?"

"Yes. After our moms. Too weird?"

Edward smiled. "No, that's not too weird. It's beautiful. And unique. Just like she is."

"And Carlie after our Dads."

"I bet they'll like that."  
"I still can't get over her being so small and fragile. When are we going to be able to take her home?"

"I think we have to focus on getting you out first and then we can work on her. She will definitely be in here for at least a couple of weeks."

"I can't help but think that this is my fault. I should have taken better care of her and myself. I should have listened to you and dad and took the semester off. I'm so sorry little one."

"Bella, stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault. Just because we made those suggestions doesn't mean we were necessarily right either. I don't nor does anyone else doubt you did everything you could. You were taking care of yourself. Your body and Renesmee had different plans. That will never be your fault."

Edward wiped away her tears.

"She's going to be fine. I promise you. Even Dad said so."

For the remainder of the time they were in there, Bella wouldn't and couldn't keep her eyes off of her new baby love. She was able to touch her arms just as Edward had through those small windows. She was determined as ever to get in her best physical condition for Renesmee.

* * *

Bella was out within a couple of days. She was determined to get Renesmee out just as quickly. Her stitches were healing up pretty well from the c-section, although she did suffer some soreness from time to time. She and Edward decided that they would both take off a semester to care for Renesmee. Everyday there were faithful to come in at the earliest time they possibly could to interact with Renesmee. Edward always came in with a cup of coffee and Bella would refuse because she felt she was already to wound up. She made sure to always get a full night's rest. One thing that would slip from her mind and that Edward would constantly have to remind her of was nourishment. When he thought she'd forgot he brought her something. She couldn't be torn away from Renesmee. And her efforts were never in vain. Everyday Renesmee would get stronger. She was still small but getting bigger every day. Bella would be sure to always wear comfortable clothing knowing that she and Edward at some point might be subject to Kangaroo therapy with their baby, which would be more often than not. She was finally off of the feeding tube and would be ready to nurse. Bella was nervous. She was afraid she would do something wrong. The nurses and Edward assured her that she wouldn't. And just as they said everything went smoothly. A couple of weeks passed and they had the routine down to a T. They would soon be taking turns doing kangaroo therapy. It became second nature to Bella. She'd place Renesmee on her chest and wrapped her in a blanket against her. Renesmee's breathing would pick up a little, but as soon as she felt the warmth of Bella's skin, she would nuzzle in and get comfortable. The nurses told them that it was Bella's heartbeat that soothed her most and even theorized made her stronger. Soon they suggested that Edward try. It didn't come so easily to him as it had Bella. He was stiff and almost afraid to hold her, in fear that he might do something to disturb her peace. But soon enough he too got a handle on it. It wasn't too long after that they were given the okay to take her home. Thankfully, Alice had equipped them with everything. Esme was excited to have them back. Aside from living in the house, there were pretty much self sufficient. Edward got a job at Carmen's office for the time being. Their goal was to be able to provide for themselves. It was a slow process, but it was steady. He would work short shifts. It wasn't much, but it was a start. It allowed him to have time with Bella and Renesmee. The following semester would be a little more difficult to handle but they could do it. For now they just indulged in the time they had to be together and put their focus on their little one and only.


	7. Seasons of Love

Another little transitional chapter before I go full depressive mode. Okay, so I won't go that depressing, but anyway, I hope you enjoy this little chapter and I hope to get one more posted this weekend. We shall see how it goes. -YC *I don't own Twilight, etc...*

* * *

Christmas and New Years were coming close. Alice, Hapser, Emmett and Rosalie were all coming back home to stay over the holidays. Renesmee was now a little over 2 months old. She was a very calm baby. She would only cry when she was hungry and could stay asleep through just about everything. Edward hummed a calming tune something reminiscent of a lullaby to Renesmee as her eyelids slowly began to fall. Bella came over and leaned her head against Edward's shoulder while giving Renesmee a gentle kiss.

"I think that did the trick", Bella whispered. Edward smiled as he slowly made his way toward Renesmee's crib. Everyone would be coming soon and they both knew that she would need as much rest as she could before Alice and Rosalie tried to take her and keep her to themselves. Edward swaddled Renesmee in a blanket and turned on the baby monitor.

"She has grown a lot, hasn't she? I don't think I'll be able to handle it if she grows any more so quickly. I can't even imagine… the teenage years will be here before we know it." Edward tried to shake the thought from his mind. He could just see it now. Hormonal mood swings. Fending off boys. Now that part really made him a bit miffed.

"I don't even want to think about that, right now. I have a better idea," She said hooking her fingers in his belt loops and tugging him close to her. "How about we see if we can get some quiet time of our own before Emmett gets here?"

"That sounds like an amazing idea", he whispered back as he caressed her mouth with his lips. He back pedaled to the bed behind them, desperately trying to take off her clothes as quickly as he could because he knew that they didn't have much time. She did the same, but his T-shirt was not cooperating. She started to giggle, "A little help here?"

He growled and pulled his shirt up above his head smiling. "Oh, you think it's funny, huh? I'll show you funny!"

He reached for her shirt and pulled it off with an inhuman ease and pulled her close to unclasp her bra as she worked on his pants, button… zipper... And in turn, he did hers. He picked her up and placed her on the bed. He slowly maneuvered his way up her body from her feet, kissing every inch. He made it too her abdomen. He could see the healing scar from the caesarean section operation that brought their daughter into this world. He gently traced his fingers along the scar. She looked down and blushed a little. It would go away eventually. They did a great job of stitching her up and with the dissolvable stitches. He could only feel a notice a slight pucker by feeling it. But none of that mattered. It deserved to be admired for even just a few moments.

"Have I ever told you how grateful I am for you carrying… delivering… bringing our daughter into the world?"

She tugged on his hair a little in response and smiled.

"Because I am. I am so grateful."

"Well, show me", she whispered with a grin.

He paused and began slowly kissing her stomach where the scar was. He tasted every part of her skin until he came up to her face.

"That would be my pleasure, Mrs. Cullen."

He began sucking and nibbling. Licking and pulling. The waves of pleasure pulsed through both of them like never before. And everything came. Came together. Breathing. Movement. Life force. Colliding into a holy delight. It was perfect.

Break.

Bella grabbed his hand and they walked down stairs. Esme was already bustling about the kitchen with her preparations for the "Welcome home night" as she liked to call it. The weather was quite chilly and it would snow off and on. It had yet to stick, today. But this was better than they had hoped for. Steam piped up from the boiling water coming from the pots and pans that were on the stove. Esme continued to dice and chop.

"Can we help?" Edward asked.

Esme paused and wiped her hands on the dish towel tucked in her apron.

"Yeah, sure", she smiled. "There is some dicing to be done with these herbs, onions and tomatoes. Potatoes can be peeled as well as sweet potatoes. Lettuce to be washed. Whichever you'd like to do is fine by me."

Edward and Bella got right to it. Edward, of course, did most of the chopping and dicing in fear of Bella accidentally losing a finger. Before they knew it Esme had dessert in the oven and not a minute too was set at the table when they heard the doorbell ring. Carlisle went to answer it.

"I got it. By the way, it smells fantastic in here."

He opened the door to a bear hug from Emmett and a gentle hug from Rosalie.

"Hey, Dad. How's it going?"

"Great, son. I am glad that you two made it safe and sound."

"Good thing it's not a long trip from Seattle to here", he stopped in his tracks. "What is that smell. It smells like Mom's amazing cooking."

"Hold on there, Emmett", Esme said coming to greet them, "We still have to wait a few minutes until Alice and Jazz get here."

"The Torture!" Emmett exclaimed.

Rosalie laughed. "I have found out, within the past couple of months what you both must have gone through to feed this man."

Carlisle and Esme laughed. "That bad, huh?"

"I thought I could handle it, but I was so wrong."

Emmett burst in again, "Is there an estimated time for arrival for my sister and her fiancé?"

Jasper had proposed a month after all the craziness of the wedding and baby in the family came. He wanted it to be special for Alice, and definitely a surprise, since he hadn't been talking too much of it until one day he called made an unexpected visit to Carlisle. Of course, Carlisle agreed and couldn't see a better match for his daughter in anyone other than Jasper. He was a perfect balance to her eccentric ways. It would be the first time anyone would see the ring aside from Carlisle and Esme, to whom he sent pictures to get some advice. Esme and Rosalie began to get excitedly talking about the wedding and everyone else seemed to talk about ways they could prank Jasper officially initiating him into the family. Bella found it to be the opportune time to go check on Renesmee. She came back down stairs and had with her the sweet bundle of joy swaddled and still sound asleep. Rosalie gasped and stretched her arms out to reach for the baby. Bella proudly and gently place the baby in her arms.

"Oh, the sweet little baby. Renesmee", she whispered smiling at Renesmee. There was a sense of admiration for her. The little girl held everyone's' hearts from the moment she was born. Edward wrapped his arm around Bella's waist as they watched Rosalie and even Emmett love their baby. The time continued on like this as Alice and Jasper finally arrived. They exchanged stories and events over the course of the next days. If they had any doubt that they were close before, they didn't doubt it now. And Renesmee's existence contributed to that. She brought more love to the family, a family that already seemed to have enough, but its love grew exponentially because of her.


	8. A Tight Grip on Reality

A/N; Pardon any errors I have whilst posting my various chapters. I can only really post at night -when I am dead tired, which makes for errors galore. But aside from the errors, I hope that everything is coherent enough for you to enjoy. Happy Easter to those that are celebrating! The story is about to move a little faster and get real melodramatic fairly quickly. Don't worry it will subside just as well. Hopefully, I can still keep things interesting... and semi logical. Haha Here goes nothing... almost 17 years later after the last chapter. Enjoy. -YC *i don't own twilight, etc...*

* * *

Renesmee had a childhood filled with care and love. She learned how to fix cars from Rosalie. How to dodge and tackle like a pro on the field with Emmett. How to shoot a rifle from Jasper. And she put her own twist on her fashion sense that she got from Alice. Most of all she learned unconditional love from her parents, perseverance and to have a listening ear. She did have a gift of her own. A compassion that helped her far more than it could ever hinder her. All these things, experiences, and time still couldn't prepare Edward and Bella enough for the day she began senior year of high school. Renesmee was everything they could ask for in a child. She still tested their limits, but always learned from her parents and grew every day. Renesmee had a good reputation for being respectful and kind. But Bella and Edward still worried. Did being young parents affect her development? Did they do enough? Were they there for her enough? Did she get enough love? Was that all going to be enough to prepare her for the great big world outside? This would be the year they would find out. Neither of them wanted to have to let go, but they knew that's what they had to do. They would do it little by little. Every soccer game, every dance, every football game. Bella had always had a tighter grip on reality. She knew, as every mother knows, that one day her baby was going to leave home. She eased into the idea. Edward, however, had the hardest clash with reality when Renesmee started dating. He should have seen it coming. As soon as Nahuel came to town when Renesmee was about 13, they were inseparable. They didn't realize they were attracted to each other until junior year of High School. He never did anything troublesome, but Renesmee was still Edward's little girl. He couldn't do anything but worry. He made a promise to spend as much time with her as he could, but sometimes work got in the way. He was planning on driving her to Nahuel's football game this Friday,but at the last minute he was called in. He took her on a Daddy-daughter lunch date instead. Work was getting tedious. His head was starting to hurt. At 36 years, he didn't think he'd feel so old. He stood in front of the board, calculating his next step. There were so many patients to see in the ER today. The constant wet weather may have had something to do with it, but it hadn't rained much today. He glanced at his watch with clipboard in hand. 5:45pm. Bella should have been here by now. He checked his phone. No messages. He decided to make a call, hoping she'd answer. Her voicemail picked up.

"Bella, where are you? Please call me and let me know if you're okay. I love you."

He looked at the time again. Where could she possible be? He tried to reassure himself that she was fine and maybe someone else heard something. He began to make his way back to the nurses' station to exchange patient files when he looked up and saw her. There was something tucked in her arms wrapped in her jacket.

"Bella?"

There were tears rolling down her face and blood on her shirt and arms.

"Bella, are you okay?"

He asked frantically looking over her body to check for injuries. And finally he saw what was nestled in her arms. A baby, blue and barely breathing. Everything was playing out in slow motion. Edward froze. He'd seen babies in that condition before, but seeing that baby, whose ever it was in Bella's arms made his world freeze for a moment. Bella's voice interrupted his momentary stagnation.

"I found him, barely breathing."

Edward quickly reacted ushering Bella and the baby to the nearest available emergency room exam area. Edward began to call out various medical procedures.

"I'm fine. I'm fine", Bella reassured everyone encouraging them to look after the baby. "I could use some new scrubs though."

Edward passed the baby onto the NICU nurses and quickly returned to Bella who seemed a mess on sitting on the floor. He cupped her face in his hands, checking every part of her.

"I'm okay. Really."

He pulled her up as she began to tear up. He wrapped his arms around her and led her to the break room. Her voice was steady, but still the tears came.

"I don't know what's coming over me. I can't stop crying. You revert back to your training. You do everything you can think of", She explained as he kneeled down taking a place in front of her as she sat on the couch.

"I knew I had to personally see that he was taken care of. Edward. There's something about him. Something so familiar."

Edward took her hands in his still attentively listening. "But I've still never felt so helpless. There has only been one other time. And fortunately, we will never have to relive that again."

Edward remembered. The helplessness that they both felt when Renesmee was born. He wrapped Bella in his arms again, holding on tight.

"It's going to be fine."

She buried her head into his chest and tried to find some peace in his embrace.

"I need to know he's okay", She mumbled tiredly.

"I think you could use a little rest before we do anything and we'll get your back-up scrubs from your locker."

* * *

He watched her eyes try to open and eventually voluntarily shut. He grabbed a blanket and covered her. He figured he might do a little investigating for himself. He made a trip to the NICU and asked about the baby.

"Well, we obviously don't know too much. He needs some assistance with breathing, but other than that, he looks like a full term, healthy and well developed baby", the nurse explained.

"Mind if I take a look at him?"

"Be my guest."

Edward took the charts and looked over them, until he finally came to a stop in front of the baby. The nameless child that struggled for life. He knew this baby would survive, but why did this child's life matter so much to Bella. The monitors continued to beep and pulse. He wouldn't think about it now. He'd wait. But he knew if Bella wanted to help this child there was no stopping her. And it would only make things worse if he tried to tell her otherwise. The more he observed the child the more he reconsidered and thought that Bella might be onto something, he just couldn't pin point what.

* * *

She woke up, groggily rubbing her eyes to see clearer. She was in her bed and it was morning.

"Edward?"

He rolled over and peered through half shut eyes.

"What time is it?"

"8:00am."

She sat straight up.

"What?" he asked, "What's wrong?" He yawned.

"I am gonna go see the baby."

"Bellaaaaa…" he mumbled as he gently grabbed her arm. "We can check on him later. I promise he will still be there."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, caressing her back with his finger tips, sliding them everywhere, for a few moments, throwing her thoughts off track. She didn't know how he could always do that so easily to her. She turned to face him and wrapped her leg over his, pulling him as close as possible.

"So what were you saying?" He mumbled into her lips.

"You don't play fair", she complained grabbing his face for a kiss. "I still love you." She laughed.

* * *

Bella woke again. But this time to the low buzz of her cell phone. Edward still had his eyes closed with his arms wrapped around her. She knew he could hear the noise coming from her phone. She reached for her phone while still in his arms. The screen was glowing with Seth's name on it. She looked at the time. 4:30pm. On a Saturday afternoon. Weird. She answered.

"Seth?"

"Bella? You sound sleepy. Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No, it's alright Seth. That's fine. What's up?"

"I hope you don't mind, but I didn't know who else to call. I've called anyone I could think of. Mom's gone to work for the entire day, and I just thought… well…"

Bella sat up managing to release herself from Edward.

"What's wrong, Seth?

"I'm not sure. Is my sister there?"

"No, not that I know of. "

"I can't find Leah. She left a note saying that she was leaving. She said that she was going to mess everything up for everyone if she didn't leave. She didn't say where she was going or if she was meeting up with anyone. She told me not to go looking for her. She's never done anything like this before. I've called everyone I could think of."

"She didn't leave any indication as to where she might be going?"

"Not really. Wait… She took her backpack. That was it."

Bella cursed under her breath.

"I will see what I can do. Just stay there, Seth. And hopefully she'll come home."

Bella hung up and got out of bed and began to get dressed.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked.

"Leah's gone."

"What are you talking about?"

"Seth can't find her."

"Shouldn't we call your dad and tell him about this?"

"That was the plan, but we both know there is only so much he can do within the rules and regulations of the P.D."

"I understand that, but what makes you think that we can find her? It's been hours."

"You sound like you've given up already."

"I'm trying to work up a plan of action instead of just jumping into the fire, Bella. We don't know what's going on."

Bella paused and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Edward, just think, if she was Renesmee, what would you do?"

He couldn't offer her rebuttal because he knew she had a point. He would do anything, give anything and everything, his life included, for Bella and Renesmee. There was no question about that. Bella carried on throwing on her jacket and some shoes. Edward sat helplessly on the bed trying to think of a way to be helpful while protecting those he loves most. He knew it was the right thing to do, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Good or bad, he couldn't tell.

"I'll go with you", he said finally getting up and stepping before her. She looked at him and told him her plan.

"Actually, I think you should stay here. I'd like for someone to be here when Renesmee comes home and I'd feel comfortable if that someone was you. I promise, I will call you. And I'll be as careful as possible."

"That's the part that worries me," He responded.

"It will be fine."

She placed her hand on his neck, bringing his face closer to hers. They kissed, a deep and longing kiss. She pulled back signaling her departure. He whispered, "I love you".

She whispered back, "I love you." And she turned to leave. Edward released a breath that he felt that he had been holding forever. She was out the door.


	9. Where to Start

A/N:Sorry it took forever to update. I am determined to finish this story under sleep deprived-ness, grammar/spelling errors and all. I just had to take a break due to school. Anyway, I hope you are still following. And here is just a small piece. I hope to post another larger bit soon, like tomorrow or the day after. So I hope you enjoy this little snippet.:)- Y

*I don't own Twilight...*

* * *

Bella called about an hour after she left. There was still no sign of Leah. It had been hours since that call. He made his way over to Charlie's house as soon as Renesmee got home. Of course , she could tell something was up. Edward's reaction to her coming home sort of tipped her off. He hugged her and wouldn't let go for a good two minutes. He sort of rocked her side to side like when she was younger. Now, he was nervously fiddling with his phone perched on the edge of Charlie's couch. She thought now might be a good time to ask exactly what was going on.

"Dad?"

Edward froze and turned to look at her as if he'd been stunned awake.

"Where is mom? And what exactly is going on? I know we didn't just come to visit Grandpa."

His grip tightened on his phone, as he rubbed his eyes, debating whether or not to tell her what was going on. He figured he'd be straight forward. No use beating around the bush. She was going to find out sooner or later.

"Leah's missing. No one knows where she is. And your mother is out looking for her."

Renesmee's face displayed a sort of confused determination.

"No one knows anything?"

"Edward", Charlie called from the kitchen.

Edward got up from the couch and helped Renesmee up off of the ground to follow him over.

"Like you said, there isn't a whole lot we can do as of right now. It technically isn't a missing person's case. We might need to have you all interviewed to get some background information to see if we can get any leads."

He turned and looked at Renesmee. "Do you know anything, sweetheart?"

She shook her head. "The last time I saw her was yesterday, before the game. Like way before the game. I saw her for maybe a second in the hallway before school started. It did seem like something was up, but it's been like that since the beginning of summer. Maybe even before that. I always try to text her or call her, but she doesn't get back to me very often, if at all", Renesmee sighed. "Maybe she'll get back to me, hopefully, before anything happens to mom."

Edward checked his phone again. Still no response. "It's been 3 hours. I am calling her and if she doesn't answer I'm going after her. I don't know where to start, but I don't care. I have to know she's okay."

He called 3 times, but still no response. Charlie gave Edward a conceding look. He nodded, "we can start at opposite sides of town."

Charlie got up and geared up grabbing his jacket and gun.

"Dad," Renesmee piped up, "I'm going with you."

"Renesmee , you can't."

"Dad, please. I can't just sit here and be useless. I know I can help. Please, Dad."

He knew that he would be less anxious if she came along. She had that effect on both him and Bella. But if she somehow split up from him, he wouldn't feel comfortable at all not being around if something happened. He opted for first option. At least he could keep an eye on her instead of her being essentially by herself.

"Fine. but if we get out of the car you need to stay with me at all times. Do you understand?"

She eagerly nodded her head,"Yes."


	10. Falling Right Into It

A/N: Another quickie. Hope you like it. Again, apologies for errors. The plot is probably going to get crazy sauce unrealistic, but that's the beauty of Fanfiction, right? Surrealism at the beckon call of the writter. Haha Anywaaay... here is Chap 9. I am going to try and make the following chapter longer, but we shall see how it progresses.

-Y

*Same ol' song and dance... don't own Twilight...*

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Streetlights began to blink on. Cars whizzed by, splashing through the puddles of the cold night rain. Bella got out of her car and tugged at the hood of her sweater to fight off the cold. She could already feel the chill biting at the tip of her nose. She hoped something; somewhere would give some sign, some light. There is no way she could have gotten far, unless she hitchhiked.

"Come on, Leah. Where are you?" Bella whispered.

Bella almost fell into a puddle of water. The lighting was dim in the area and she could barely see it. She caught herself. But something muffled caught her attention. She could barely make out the silhouettes of what looked like two men huddled over something in the alley. She carefully began to inch closer. Just as she was about to call out to the men, her phone rang at possibly the most inopportune moment. She fumbled around trying to silence it. And from the caller ID she could see that it was Edward. She looked at the time. It had already been hours since she last called him. She placed the phone back in her pocket. When she looked up, she realized that the two figures were approaching her and quickly.

"Hey!" They called out. Bella quickly turned and walked the other way. The next thing she knew they grabbed her and pulled her backwards. Bella fought back, hard; but, she was out-numbered. In her struggle, for one fleeting moment, she was able to see what it was the men were hunched over. Leah.

* * *

They threw both of them into some vehicle. She wasn't sure, but she could swear it was a van because she could hear the door slide across and then slam heavily. They had blind-folded both. They were in a corner, inadvertently, huddled together at the wrists, as if the people that took them haphazardly did this all on a whim. In there hastiness to bind them, Bella noticed that there was a little space to move. It provided an opportunity for Bella to at least see if Leah was still alive. She did her best to move her hand around. The material that bound them together burned her wrist and dug into her skin, but she was still able to find a small weak pulse on Leah. A slight weight slowly lifted off of her shoulders. She let out a small huff of air in relief. It didn't seem like long before they stopped. They roughly pulled both of them up, but she still couldn't make out who _they_ were. All Bella knew was that it was dark and dank. And that the people that brought them there, were dressed in the typical black or neutral toned apparel every criminal wears, bringing visuals to a minimum. Bella could see little in the moonlight to begin with. Everything was a grey tone, but she heard the crunch of leaves beneath her feet. She could smell the forest air, crisp and clear. And cold, as well. Dead cold.

Bella had to half carry Leah, as more men appeared to prevent their escape. As if they could. Both were bruised and had minor lacerations all over. Bella didn't feel any of them. Her priority was Leah. They approached a building that looked as if the people came in, or were dragged in, typically didn't come back out. Barbed wire fences surrounded the fortress. But she noticed, there were no real signs of people outside of the compound. A few security cameras were perched along the premises. Bella did her best to remember as much as she could, but as soon as they passed through the front doors, someone grabbed her from behind, yet again. They pulled her away from Leah and Bella began to thrash and pull. But before she knew it, a hand clamped down over her mouth and nose with a heavy dose of nitrous oxide.

"Le…" She tried to yell.

It was lights out for Bella.


End file.
